Tuticorin Airport
Tuticorin Airport is a domestic airport serving the city of Thoothukudi and its adjoining districts of Thoothukkudi, Tirunelveli, Tenkasi and Kanniyakumari in Tamil Nadu, India. It is located along the National Highway 7A at Vagaikulam, about west of the city centre. The airport was ISO 9001:2015 quality certified on 13 April 2018. It is the fifth-busiest airport in the state after Chennai, Coimbatore, Tiruchirappalli and Madurai airports.
History
Tuticorin airport was inaugurated in 1992, with the first aircraft, belonging to the regional carrier Vayudoot, landing on 13 April. This service was short-lived and operated only for 14 months. Three years later, NEPC Airlines operated a regular service from Chennai to Thoothukudi via Kochi for about six months. A decade later, Air Deccan began flights to the airport on 1 April 2006.Facilities
The airport had a long, and wide asphalt runway, which was extended to length and expanded to width in 2025. It is equipped with a Cat-I Instrument Landing System. There is a long and wide parallel taxiway, and a long taxi way linking the main taxiway to the runway. The main apron measuring, is capable of accommodating five narrow body aircraft. A separate parking bay measuring can accommodate an additional aircraft, which is linked to the runway by a long taxiway.In September 2020, the Airports Authority of India announced an expansion project that included the expansion of the runway and taxiway, construction of new parking bays, Air Traffic Control tower, and terminal building at a total cost of. About of land was earmarked for the expansion of the airport, and an additional of land was set aside for the usage of Indian Air Force and the Indian Coastguard. The expansion project was initiated on 25 July 2020. A technical block and a fire station were also constructed as a part of the project. Night landing facilities were established at the airport in 2020 with the first night landing on 3 July 2020.
The new terminal building covers an area of, and is capable of handling up to 1,400 passengers per hour. It is equipped with three aerobridges, four entry gates, seven baggage scanners, and 21 check-in counters. Indian prime minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the new terminal building on 26 July 2025.